General Conference 2019

NOTE: For information on what happened at General Conference 2019 from the United Methodist Church, please click here.

The Council of Bishops announced the call to a special General Conference on Feb. 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri. The special meeting of The United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking assembly will be limited to acting on a report by Council of Bishops, based on the proposals from the Commission on the Way Forward. The 32-member commission, appointed by the bishops, has the charge of finding ways for the denomination to stay together despite deep differences around homosexuality. General Conference, which usually meets every four years, is the only body that can speak for the denomination. As we approach the called session of the 2019 General Conference it is not uncommon for members of the delegation to hear from Arkansas United Methodist. We ask for your prayers at the critical moment in our denomination. Any United Methodist in the Arkansas Conference may reach out to any delegate listed below.

General Conference 2019 Schedule

Saturday, February 239:00 A.M. – 6:30 P.M. Day of Prayer and PreparationDetailed Schedule to Be Announced.

Important Questions About General Conference 2019

With the Special Session of the General Conference less than six months away, there are still many questions surrounding the Commission on a Way Forward and the three plans submitted by the Commission. Bishop Gary Mueller has heard your concerns and put together an informative document to help answer the questions that have been asked most often, as well as explain each of the three plans submitted for a vote at General Conference and what each plan would mean for the future of the United Methodist Church. Click here to read the document.

Praying Our Way Forward

As part of the Praying Our Way Forward process and the Opening of the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference, the attached prayer has been written and will be part of the worship liturgy at General Conference. Please offer it to the churches of your annual conference and invite them to use it during their worship services on Sunday, February 24. We envisioned that this might occur easiest by distributing to your district superintendents and then by them to the pastors of the district. However, feel free to use whatever mechanism works best in your context. Click here to view.